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How did your mechanic have trouble getting the Alligator cables into the lever? Its the easiest part of the install. Did he make the rear brake loop too long? That can hamper lever return. I had plenty of trouble with the shift cables, but the brakes were a snap.

Johnny Rad wrote:Now I have to find ~10g to get the Assault set-up to be sub-13lbs. Anyone have any good ideas?! [New wheels and brakes are out of the question for now...].

Did you get rid of the stock bolt holding the cable guide on under the bottom bracket? I used an alu water bottle cage bolt- a nylon bolt would probably work as well and I think it dropped 3g on mine-- not all of the weight, but costs almost nothing. Just make sure bolts are the same length!

Funny you mention it. as my bike, and lots of others don't use the lever connectors at all. I have just inserted the string of beads into the lever. On my brakes I have used one of these frame stoppers or v-pipe head connectors. There was almost no need for these silly long items.

@ mdeth1313 - Yup, I swapped out the BB cable guide bolt for a lighter one, saving ~1g. I gave you credit for the idea on the previous page!

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However my mechanic made the I-link brake cable to shifter interface work (I think he rigged in some other cable components from who knows what or where), it's golden. I put in another short ride and have gotten more used to them. I also opened up my brakes to give me more brake / shifter squeeze before they begin to engage. I've never cared for that "instant on" sensation; I prefer a bit of squeeze before the pads hit the rims.

I have the connectors and you have to insert them in at just the right angle to get them to work. I'd like to remove them when I have more time, but I don't want to have to fully re-do my cabling to do it. Maybe in a few weeks here.

I swapped out my trusty Swisstop Yellows (31/g set of 4 pads) for Reynold's new BLUE pads today (25g/set of 4 pads) and netted a tidy little 6g savings.

Very chilly (~34F) ride report (comparing Swisstop Yellows to Reynolds BLUE on my Reynolds Assault clinchers): Overall, a lukewarm thumbs-up and I'm happily keeping them on my bike. First, there's no annoying squeal! Bravo to Reynolds. Second, the initial stopping power and modulation is every bit as good as Swisstop Yellows and maybe better. Inspires confidence. However, I can't lock-up the rear brake at will now, which I believe is a sign the BLUE pads don't have the same terminal braking performance. I can lock it up on the flats, but not when coming to a stop on a descent. Maybe they'll perform better when it warms up outside? Finally, they're NOT going to last a full season, which could be reflected in the rock bottom pricing. I get 1.5-2 seasons out of my Swisstop Yellows, but am afraid the BLUE pads won't last based on all the pad dust all over the pads and brakes after only a very modest ride today.

Worth mentioning is that the BLUE pads are worlds better than the Zipp Tangente pads.

I'm sitting at 5.8-5.9kg depending on wheels now.

Last edited by Johnny Rad on Sat May 07, 2016 4:55 am, edited 3 times in total.

1) Tape off area to be painted2) Paint 2-3 coats allowing time to dry between3) Remove tape while paint is half-way between wet and dry4) Allow paint to completely dry5) Re-tape off area to be clear coated6) Apply 2-3 coats of clear nail polish ... be VERY quick on the first coat or you might smudge your "custom" paint job7) Remove tape Enjoy!

My paint work was very nice, but I smudged it a hair when applying the first coat of nail polish. Either the nail polish thins out the paint and/or the paint wasn't dry enough. I was bummed out, but it still looks OK. That's why I'm not posting close-ups!

*** Many thanks to benolium for sharing his simple "how to" paint SRAM Red with me via PM. Also, many thanks for the inspiration from the other WW members that have already done the same "custom" painting.

Last edited by Johnny Rad on Sat May 07, 2016 4:56 am, edited 2 times in total.

With all the sub 4 and 5kg Scott madness going on right now, I figured it was time to jump in with my "heavy duty" version at only 5.68kg.

After much thinking and saving (plus a sale on Fairwheel's part), I finally pulled the trigger on a set of EE brakes. Loaded with a new set of Reynolds blue pads, I saved a tidy 80g over my outgoing SRAM Red set.

Seemed to me a perfect time to re-cable the bike, too. I went with Alligator Mini iLinks for shifting and AICAN Bungarus for brakes and saved ~20g, which is the lightest combo of these two according to the Fairwheel site. I also added a new-style SRAM Red FD with its extra 11g to try and eke out a bit better shifting up front.

All in all, my little Addict is now sitting "as ridden" (pedals, computer, cages, no seat bag or lights) at 5.684kg (12.53lbs) with Reynolds Attacks and 5.771kg (12.72lbs) with Reynolds Assaults.

Is winter over, yet? I'm ready for the roads to clear and start pedaling. Pics and ride report to follow.

Last edited by Johnny Rad on Tue May 03, 2016 3:53 am, edited 2 times in total.

I noticed that you've changed the seatpost/saddle clamp from the Ritchey 25mm offset to a 8mm offset. I'm looking for that actually. What brand clamps are you using? What is the seatpost diameter at the top? 30.25mm or 34.9mm?

It's a MCFK zero offset (34.9 I think) and it's been working great for me for ~3 seasons. There's also an offset model now. Contact Martin at MCFK or Fairwheel Bikes for sizing and ordering details: http://www.mcfk.de

I often daydream about buying his saddle, but my Selle San Marco Superleggera fits my butt like a proverbial glove ... in the "end," I don't want to ruin a good thing.

And his road bar is only 31.8, so I'm holding out for the smaller diameter 26.0 size.